Lexus RX 300

Comments

My rx300 has 155k miles on it. At 80k I changed the transmission oil using T-4. On the dipstick there is a tag that says "no need to change the transmission oil under normal driving conditions. On awd, change the transfer case oil according to schedule" I changed it anyway. The transmission is really working great, but with all the postings lately, I looked at the oil on the dipstick and it was "kind of black". I brought the car to my new local mechanic and asked him to do an oil change. He refused saying that with the amount of miles on the car, it may never run after the oil was changed. I now post this to get you opinions regarding the advice I received from a certified (ASC) mechanic.

Something is seriously wrong within the transaxles of our RX300's. Whatever it is results in the fluid being burnt appearing and smelling burned. Mine at 38,000 miles.

But the shorter term problem is that the fluid is becoming highly contaminated with debris from the inordinately high clutch frictional surface wear. This contamination is preventing the fluid from functioning properly in its primary functions as a simple hydraulic fluid and lubricating oil.

Last July I contacted Lexus directly twice via email and both times they sent me to the dealer for an answer. The dealer assured me that Lexus was now recommending fluid flushes at each 15,000 mile interval.

Discovered that the diff'l, but not the PTO, also runs in transmission fluid and holds about a qt. unless drained via the separate drain plug. So this time I not only drained the diff'l I dropped the sump pan and cleaned about 1/8" of what appeared to be ground up pencil lead from the bottom of the pan. Installed 5 qts this time. ALL fluid came from Lexus.

Three magnets in the bottom of the sump pan had a few metallic particles attached but in my opinion not enough to indicate any serious problems.

Bellevue Lexus service manager has now informed me that the factory has come down on them about undue service recommendations so now the recommendation for our transaxles is not to flush but to inspect and only flush if the inspection indicates a need.

Yours indicates a need.

Were I you I wouldn't put any further trust in that particular ASE certified mechanic.

After the local guy refused to change out the transmission oil, I took it to my local Lexus dealer. They took care of the service without a "hesitation" and charged me $129 for the procedure. (12 qts of oil, filter clean out, etc) Not too bad. Car still rides great after 155 k miles.

Both my 200 ES 300 and 2002 RX 300 have this frequent noise that occurs when AC is on. It is not very loud but certainly audible. It may reoccur in short intervals ( less than a minute) and last a few seconds. The noise sounds like air discharging or something. Just wondering if any other owners have the same experience. Is it a problem? :confuse:

I hear the same sounds you do when the AC is on. The dealer tells me it is the refrigerant (non CFC, of course) being shot out at a high pressure. It is quite annoying if the radio/CD is not on. I also wonder if others have noticed this.

See messages 8526 and 8529 above. I removed the wiper motor and with some diligence found that the problem was corrosion where the shaft passes through the bushing in the door. I disassembled that portion, cleaned, lubed and put it back together. Motor was fine, works like new, took about two hours total. Dealer probably would have just replaced the whole assembly for only about $200-$300! BTW, inside panels just snap in and out using "xmas tree" type retainers.

I am looking at a 2002 Lexus rx300 at a local used car dealer. It looks great and drives like a dream and is fully loaded with a sun roof, CD changer, leather seats, etc. The dealer has put new Michelin tires on it. It has 70,000 miles which is somewhat of a concern to me. I have talked the dealer down to $23,000. The Blue Book shows about $25,000 retail. CarFax says there has been no damage reported. It was apparently on lease to one owner in Pennsylvania. Does being under a lease give one a warm feeling that the proper maintenance has been done to this car? What sort of Lexus recommended maintenance items will I be in for with this car at this mileage? Plus, I don't know how long things like hoses, shocks, wiper blades, fan belt, etc. will last on this car. Overall does this car sound like a good buy? Thanks in advance for your response.

Hello - I am new to the forum but I am hoping to get some good advice on the problem I am having with my RX300.

Starting in 2004, for about a year now, my car has stalled (just goes dead when coming to a stop or when turing into a driveway) five times so far. The dealer has told me that I need to use premium gas, which I have started to do at the beginning of this year. But my car has stopped 2 or 3 times more since that.

What happens is that the car just goes dead with all the panel lights coming on. I then simply turn my engine off and restart the car. And the car starts fine after that. So I am not overly concerned but it is still bothering me this happens and it is happening more often now, it seems. I have only about 33K miles on the car.

A fellow teamseattle member drove his brand new Ferrari Scarletti(SP?) to Daytona for the 24 race. It stalled in SFO and went to the shop for a few days. Again in LA, to the shop again. He went to dinner on Sunday evening after the race and the car wouldn't start when he came out.

Flatbed to Orlando where they discoverd that the battery connection at the firewall was loose.

I have had a few instances similar to you regarding the stalling issue and with the dash lights all lit up. It occurred when I first bought the car and it again a year or so later. In my instances, the car seemed to be jumpy and rough sounding prior to the stalling. I attributed to possibly bad gas---automobile gas, of course.This has not happened to me while turning or braking.

My 2002 RX does fine on regular, I don't think your problem is gas. Have a 98 Windstar with a similar problem. The problem was a component on top of the engine, which I think was the throttle positioning sensor. Someone else may be able to confirm that. Ford has a TSB on it. It died only when making slow turns. It was allowing the rpm's to drop too low and the engined stalled. Replaced it and no problems. Maybe you can leave the car with the dealer for a few days to see if they can duplicate the problem.

I have a 1999 RX that I bought as soon as they were available in June of 1998. Love the vehicle and plan to keep it til it dies, which could be some time. My question revolves around when to replace the timing belt. The manual for the 99 says replace at 90K if you drive in certain strenuous conditions, which I do not. Otherwise there is no recommendation for replace with just normal operating conditions. Does anyone have any experience with timing belts and when to replace. Local Toyota (no Lexus in Charlottesville) quotes about $450 to do the job.

00 and 01 RX owners manual says change timing belt at 90K. Nothing about strenuous driving. From reading posts here and on other RX forums it looks like most play it safe and have it done at 90K, which is a good practice. I will most likely play the odds a little and have mine done by the Toyota dealer at 120K and have him do the plugs at the same time.

My wife is obsessed with the RX300. So I'm looking for one for her. Our budget dictates that we get one for $14k max. I'm thinking that would mean a '99.What are the chances of getting a '99, or possibly a '00, with under 100k (say 75k)miles for $14k or less?? Thanks.

Just keep looking around for one, I did a quick search on autotrader and found a few within 200 miles of my house in VA. I bought my '99 a few years ago for about $23K still under original manufacturers warranty and added an extended warranty.

I just came from the Lexus dealer. My check engine light came on shortly after I left a gas station (I checked the gas cap and it was on tight) - car runs perfectly, but I felt I should have it checked. Dealer found code P0171, said I need to replace the Mass Airflow Sensor - $300.00. I told them to forget it for now. Is this really the problem? Is the cost appropriate? can I do this myself?

If you remove the gas cap and do not fuel up then you will get an engine check light becuase the system thinks the gas tank vacuum was lost due to "other' causes. Same thing can happen if you start the car first and then put the cap back later.

When the fuel tank level increases (enough??) coincident with a loss of vacuum the diagnostic is cancelled.